


Epilogue

by dralexreid



Series: Dr Piper Bishop [73]
Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-13 10:20:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29524926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dralexreid/pseuds/dralexreid
Summary: The BAU searches California's Angeles National Forest after a number of bodies mysteriously turn up in the mountain lakes there. Also, Rossi struggles with an agonizing decision regarding his ex-wife.
Relationships: Dr Spencer Reid/Dr Piper Bishop
Series: Dr Piper Bishop [73]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1972852
Comments: 5
Kudos: 16





	1. Chapter 1

Emily was seated at her desk, peering through the windows of Hotch’s office as she silently beckoned the women over. Only one appeared and the scent of vanilla wafted between Spencer and Emily’s desk. Together, they watched Penelope hand Hotch a file and JJ easily discerned Hotch’s expression. “I so don't miss that face. No matter how many cases we solve, there's always more.”

“Insert Dr Reid's statistic about active serial killers at any given time here,” Emily said, pointing a thumb at a distant Spencer. His wrist was currently being double-checked by Piper as the two doctors stared at Rossi on the other end of the bullpen. Piper was narrowing her eyes at Rossi.

“Maybe he didn’t have his coffee this morning?” Spencer whispered.

“Double-shot vanilla latte,” Piper supplied. “Late night?”

“I didn’t see any dark circles, did you?” Piper shook her head as JJ shared a look of amusement with Emily.

“Could just be old age,” Piper provided with a slight snicker.

“Reid?” Emily asked her intonation a little more worried than usual. Neither analyst looked up, continuing to discuss their theories. Emily whistled slowly, gaining their attention, albeit only half of it as they enlightened them.

“Something’s wrong with Rossi,” Piper supplied, making the ladies turn around to watch David reading a newspaper.

“Why do you say that?” JJ asked, seeing nothing.

“He's been reading the same page for 16 minutes and 24 seconds,” Spencer revealed, as though that sufficed as an explanation.

“Maybe it’s a really good article?” Emily proposed.

“It’s never taken him longer than 11 minutes, 17 seconds to turn a page,” Piper said, still staring at Rossi intently.

“You time how long it takes for him to read a page?” Emily asked incredulously.

“We get bored,” Spencer said simply, staring at his watch.

“And we like making fun of how long it takes you all to read a page,” Piper said absentmindedly. “But this…this is worrying.” JJ snorted softly at the scene unfolding in front of her.

“What’s your theory?” she asked, intrigued.

“Extrapolating probabilities as we speak,” Spencer murmured, standing up before making his way over.

“In other words, we’ve got nada and we need to poke the bear,” Piper explained with a soft giggle as the ladies followed him. Rossi looked up at the young profilers all approaching him, Derek from one side, a small army from another.

“Hey, Rossi, you think you could help me with a consult for Wildwood PD?” Derek asked, a file in his hand.

“Uh, sure,” David said uneasily, placing the newspaper down as the five agents surrounded him.

“Now, that, I noticed,” JJ remarked.

“See?” Piper asked. “He’s being weird.” Derek glanced at Piper, then Rossi.

“Something going on?”

“How did it go the other night?” Emily prompted next, raising an eyebrow as Spencer furrowed his.

“What happened the other night?” JJ asked.

“You’re being weird,” Piper repeated.

“Are you okay?” Spencer asked.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Rossi asked.

“You’re avoiding the question,” Piper warned him.

“You seem…distracted,” JJ said, for lack of a better word.

“I’m considering making a purchase…” David said before glancing at the newspaper like the rest of them did at the small ad for a second-hand thrift store and sighed deeply.

“Really?” Piper asked.

“Come on, Rossi, you know we’re not buying that,” Derek said, unaware of the pun he’d just made. “What’s really going on?”

“Alright look, it was a late-night with Ringo and not enough coffee. I mean, the guy’s a world-class drummer, but don’t think I didn’t wipe the floor with him in Rock Band,” he said, noticing everyone but Piper buy the excuse.

“What do you think?” JJ asked Emily.

“He could be telling the truth,” Emily said. “I only played him to the easy level. Piper, you think Rossi could beat Ringo?” Piper narrowed her eyes at Rossi.

“His Tom Sawyer sucks,” she confessed. “Ringo could do it in a heartbeat.” Rossi shrugged.

“I’ve been practising. And like you’re any better.”

“Please,” Piper scoffed. “I can do that riff with my eyes closed.”

“Okay, you know what, you’re on,” he challenged her. “You and me after this case.”

“I can’t tell,” Spencer grumbled, and Rossi took it.

“And you never will,” he said, pointing a finger at Reid, making him smile despite himself. They turned at the sound of Hotch’s voice from the catwalk.

“Let’s get started.” Each of the profilers filtered away and David meant to follow them until Piper tapped his shoulder.

“For your information, Ringo was playing a Beatles tribute concert with John. In LA. It was live-streamed,” Piper whispered, making Rossi’s face go slack. _So much for that excuse._ They all filtered into the conference room taking their usual seats. JJ took a seat between Penelope and Emily. Piper slid into hers next to Spencer and Emily, Derek right in front of her as Aaron took the middle, authoritative seat and Rossi stook his seat last as Penelope briefed the team.

“Okay, this is Ridge Canyon Lake in California's Angeles National Forest. It's a popular destination for water sport enthusiasts. Unfortunately, some campers have discovered someone has chosen murder as their sport of choice.” They all grimaced slightly at the images of the slightly bloated men on Penelope’s big screen as she took her seat, a hot thermos in her hand. “3 victims, all-male, all found early this morning.”

“Underwater disposal site?”

“Smart cookie,” Piper murmured, going through the details. “Are the victims connected in any way?”

“Not that I know of yet, but that will be the first thing on the to-do list,” Penelope said brightly.

“It’s pretty risky, keeping a graveyard near a popular lake.”

“Probably doesn’t care if they are found,” Piper sighed. “He’s confident they won’t trace back to him.”

“Well, we should run priors in the area,” Derek said, locking his gaze with Penelope’s. “This might not be his first party.”

“All 3 victims were reported missing last week,” Aaron added. “And each of the bodies was discovered more than 30 miles from where they went missing.”

“It’s hard to carry a body that far,” Piper said, clicking her pen in thought. “I mean, logistically speaking, it’d be easier to abduct them and then kill them.”

“In which case, he’s definitely organised,” David continued.

“Which fits with his confidence level,” Piper finished.

“Is there any indication of sexual assault?” JJ asked.

“No external signs but time in the water might have destroyed evidence,” Aaron answered. “Autopsies are being conducted now.”

“And I’m going to make matters worse,” Penelope said quickly. “This is Nick Skirvin, and he was abducted early this morning.”

“Witness reports indicate a blitz attack,” Aaron continued. “His friends were on the water and saw a figure strike Nick from behind just before they lost contact.”

“Do they have a description?” Derek asked.

“Probably white, definitely male,” Aaron answered unhelpfully.

“They said the unsub had dragged Nick into the woods by the time they reached the shore,” Penelope said.

“Fast and efficient, and he is unafraid of a heavy police presence,” Emily remarked.

“If he's dumping the bodies in one location, it's a good bet the area means something to him,” Dave said. “He probably lives in or near the forest.”

“Unfortunately, Angeles National Forest is 1, 016 square miles of terrain, ranging in elevation from 1, 200 to 10, 064 feet,” Spencer recited.

“Which means that if the unsub is familiar with the area, Nick Skirvin could be anywhere.”


	2. Chapter 2

It took most of the morning for the team to come back with their results and lunch. Rossi had taken the lead with the interrogation until it became clear that Nick’s older brother started gaining more rapport with Piper, sharing a bond from being older siblings. Rossi, who had been a single child, watched with pride as his protégée built a bond with their only main witness.

“Unsub blends in with a younger crowd,” Dave reported. “I'd say we're looking at the mid-20s to early 30s.”

JJ had talked to Jake Shepherd’s mother over the phone, jotting down personal notes on a pad. “Well, he’s methodical, Social, too. He's been able to isolate all of his victims. The mother of Jake Shepherd, our first victim, said there were several members of their church at the lake that day. But Jake was the only one with brown hair. He matched the age preference of the unsub.”

Meanwhile, Aaron had discarded his usual suit and tie ensemble, opting for a professional button-up and what Penelope would only describe as ‘dad jeans'. Derek had joined him up on the riverbed, explaining the route the unsub must have used to get there. “Nick’s body was found 44 miles from the abduction site,” Aaron explained. “A truck or camper would conceal his victims.”

“If he's dragging his victims, he's probably too weak to carry them. He might have switched to a smaller target to help navigate his terrain,” Derek added. “He also didn't weigh Nick’s body down. Maybe he can't complete his ritual without the proper surrogate.”

“In which case, killing Nick didn't get the unsub his release. He's already looking for his next victim.

Spencer and Emily had listened to the coroner’s explanation of the cause of death. Jake Shepherd, the first victim, was asphyxiated before being submerged. “Jake was the biggest,” Spencer said. “The unsub may have had to strangle him to render him unconscious for the drowning.”

“But the damage to his throat meant he was dead before he hit the water,” Emily relayed. “But with Nick, he used a blow to the head to incapacitate him, so this unsub wants his victims alive when he drowns them.”

“The interesting part is in all 4 victims, evidence of broken ribs and damage to the sternum indicate severe chest compression, yet there are no signs of external trauma.”

“He performed CPR on the victims?” Piper asked, raising a brow as she tapped the end of her fry with a finger.

“And was successful,” Spencer added, his tone picking up excitement. “Inflammation to the lungs indicates matter expulsion prior to brain death.”

“He kills them, then resuscitates them,” JJ remarked. “Why?”

“Classic power play,” Derek supplied. “Control over life and death.”

“We've seen hero complexes before,” Spencer recalled. “Rodney Alcala killed and resuscitated his victims. These unsubs get off on the power of bringing people back from the dead.”

“Hold on,” Piper said, gesturing with the fry as she thought aloud. “So, he drowns them, then resuscitates them. Why keep going until they die?”

“He’s a sadist,” Derek said simply. “Killing them once isn't enough. He has to resuscitate his victims until he can't bring them back again.”

“Hold on but being a sadist and having a saviour complex theoretically can’t co-exist in the same psyche,” Piper said, pointing the fry at Derek and Spencer. “You can’t receive pleasure from their pain and also pleasure from saving them.”

“No, resuscitating them makes him feel more powerful,” Aaron agreed.

“We have to find a white male in his early 20s with a God complex,” she scoffed, returning to her lunch. “You are aware this is California?”

“What about the change in victimology?” Aaron asked, done with his burger. They weren’t sure whether he’d eaten it or inhaled in.

“Nick Skirvin was the smallest, but he had the most defensive wounds on his body,” Emily said. “He fought back the most.”

“Maybe the unsub was injured in one of the attacks,” David suggested. “He's targeting easier prey to complete his end game.” At the end of his sentence, the entire team glanced at Rossi, particularly his breast pocket where his cell phone rang. He excused himself, answering the call in another room as Emily watched through the glass, barely paying attention to Spencer’s next notation.

“There's something else,” Spencer said quickly, lifting from his seat and moving to the map. “The M.E. tested diatom levels in the bodies, and it turns out the unsub drowns his victims at different locations every time, not just where he abducts them or where the bodies are later discovered.”

“So, he abducts them from one place, drowns them in a secondary location, then dumps them in a tertiary location?” JJ asked with a deep sigh. “That’s a lot of work.”

“And pretty risky, considering the community's on full alert,” Derek added. “This guy's intelligent, resourceful, and criminally sophisticated.”

“Why is transporting the bodies so important to him?” Hotch asked, more to himself than the team. Piper rolled her chair over to Spencer’s side while Emily tossed a glance at Rossi in the other room, Derek following her gaze to see David on his cell, looking up at the ceiling, then to the floor in a sense of hopelessness.


	3. Chapter 3

“So, diatoms are what? Algae?” Piper asked, her feet propped up on the dash as she glanced at Spencer in the driver’s seat.

“It’s a major group of microalgae,” Spencer said, happy to explain. “The main goal of diatom analysis in forensics is to differentiate a death by submersion from a post-mortem immersion of a body in water.” Piper sighed deeply.

“Okay, so if the diatom levels in each body are different, it means they’re drowned in a different location?” Piper asked. Science really wasn’t her strong suit.

“Pretty much. The blend of diatom species found in a corpse can be the same or different from the surrounding water, indicating whether the victim drowned in the same site in which the body was found.”

“Okay…” Piper said uneasily. She still felt like she was missing a piece of the puzzle. “So, do we know where they were originally drowned?”

“Piper, they’d have to sample the entire lake to do that,” Spencer said, laughing slightly and Piper leant back.

“Right. Sorry, stupid question,” she said quickly, barely listening as Spencer detailed how diatoms had been first discovered by Otto Müller in 1783. Instead, she tapped on her chin, thinking about the question Hotch had proposed. _Why was he so obsessed with transporting the bodies?_ _It was a countermeasure, for sure, but against what?_ _And why three different locations per victim?_ “Oh,” she said, interrupting Spencer as the pieces finally fit together. “We don’t know where they were drowned,” she said suddenly, a laugh escaping her lips. “I am an idiot, I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before,” Piper rambled, taking her feet off the dash.

“What do you mean?” Spencer asked, utterly baffled.

“We don’t know where they were drowned, that’s why he’s being so meticulous! The secondary location has to be personal,” she shrieked, ecstatic at her lead as she pulled out her cell as Spencer finally understood, pressing his foot against the accelerator, trying to get to the coroner’s office as fast as possible.

_“Agent Hotchner.”_

“He’s transporting the bodies as a forensic countermeasure,” Piper updated him. “I think the secondary location is somewhere personal, maybe near his place of occupation or residence, either way, he has to protect it. That’s why he’s travelling 40 something miles just to dump Nick’s body.”

“ _We were right, he was spooked after the bodies were found._ ”

“Yeah, but even the bodies at Ridge Canyon were dumped from somewhere else.”

_“So, he went further to Banter Lake.”_

“To have us focus away from Ridge Canyon. But the easiest way to drown someone is if you’re on dry land and the best place to do that is some kind of isolated dock or pier.”

 _“I’ll have Garcia compile a list. Good work.”_ And with that ever-dry tone of his, Aaron hung up. She let out a breath, carding a hand through her hair.

“Everything okay?” Spencer asked.

“It will be if you drive faster, Spence,” she teased him, shifting forward to turn the radio on, letting The Black Keys fill the SUV, but keeping it low enough so as not to bother Spencer. But by the time she leaned back, his hand turned the volume up silently. He wasn’t completely comfortable with rock music yet. But watching Piper melt into the music, closing her eyes and mumbling the lyrics along to the music, it made him feel more relaxed than he had been all week. And it had been a tough week.

Eventually, he pulled over outside the coroner’s office and they went inside. Dr Gibbins was slightly confused but took Piper’s appearance in her stride as she explained what she’d found with the latest body. “He killed a woman this time.”

“It’s unlikely it’s for a sexual purpose,” Piper said, looking up from the pale, preserved body. “Something’s debilitating him.”

“Diatom readings indicate he did move the body after he drowned her,” the coroner explained, her gaze lingering on Spencer who definitely didn’t notice it.

“Post-mortem wounds—overkill consistent with rage,” he murmured to Piper.

“He’s getting frustrated,” Piper said, eyes narrowed at the coroner who was far too close to Spencer for her liking. “Was she successfully revived at all?” She brushed her hand against Spencer’s pointedly, making the other woman back up slightly.

“There's bruising consistent with CPR, but no inflammation of the lungs, no signs of expulsion. She wasn't successfully revived. And take a look at this,” she said, glancing away from Spencer and gesturing to the microscope. “There was blood on the body that didn't match type to the victim. It shows a severely low white blood cell count.” Spencer moved to take a look at the blood sample through the microscope, his fingers brushing against the microscope.

“If this unsub is sick and getting weak, it would explain why he's no longer weighing his victims down,” Piper said, joining his side.

“The only consistency to his M.O. Is the drowning and resuscitation,” Spencer said, standing straight. “That's what's most important to him.” He watched her as she pulled out her cell phone.

“Bishop,” she answered, poking out her tongue adorably to wet her lower lip. “Alright, we’ll be there in a couple of minutes.” She hung up, slipping the cell into her pocket. “That’s Emily, they’re delivering the profile soon, so we should get back.” She held out her hand for Spencer’s keys.

“Wha-No. You’re a hazard to society.”

“No, our unsub is and you’re a slow driver,” she retorted and Spencer grumbled, tossing her the keys before leading the way out, not forgetting to wrap a pinkie around hers as they left.


	4. Chapter 4

The profile was delivered rather smoothly and without any mishaps. An unsub in his mid to late 20s who is local to the area, a sadist with a God complex who gets off by killing his victims over and over again, but it was vital that he's able to bring them back from the dead. Piper lay on the couch, rubbing a stress ball in her hands as she mulled over the behaviour. Spencer was seated cross-legged on the table, reading over victimology. JJ was calling Will outside, finally catching a break and catching up with him. Aaron had taken a minute to call his sister-in-law and Jack. Derek joked that maybe Emily should check in with her cat. But her focus was concentrated on Rossi's weird behaviour. She moved from her seat to check in on him while Piper shot up in her seat. “Low white blood cell count. Why?” Spencer looked up from his documents, considering the question while Derek raised his eyebrow and his cup of tea to his lips.

“Bone marrow problems, cancer treatments, auto-immune disorders, infections, antibiotics, nutrition and spleen problems,” Spencer rattled off.

“Okay, so there’s probably a medical record of those things, right?” Piper asked, grabbing a cell to call Garcia. “I’m gonna get Garcia to cross-reference our profile with those things.” She pressed a kiss to Spencer’s cheek and slapped Derek’s shoulder before stepping outside to take the call.

Meanwhile, Emily swung the door open to the office Rossi was currently occupying, her gaze falling on him. His expression sagged, his wrinkles more prominent and he tapped at his cell on the table thoughtfully. “I take it wasn’t Ringo inviting you to another party yesterday,” Emily prompted him, shutting the door behind her quietly. Rossi folded his hands on the table, leaning back in his chair.

“It was Carolyn,” David confessed. “She has ALS.” Emily’s jaw dropped and she moved to take a seat, uncrossing her arms from her chest.

“Rossi, I’m…” She was mostly speechless. “What do you need?” she asked him. He mulled over the question, tapping his thumbs together.

“It’s not what I need, Emily. It’s what she’s asking me to do.” Emily’s brow furrowed slightly, hanging on to every word. David leaned forward onto the table as he spoke. “The disease is acting quickly. Carolyn is already suffering, and she doesn’t want to go out that way. She wants to die on her own terms.” Emily nodded, understanding Rossi’s situation. “And when this case is over and we get back,” Rossi said, keeping his voice steady. “She asked me if I would help her do it.” Emily had no idea how to respond, blinking as she processed the information.

“What are you going to do?” she asked, her voice overflowing with concern.

“I don’t have a choice,” Rossi said softly and whatever Emily might have said next was interrupted by Piper’s knock and subsequent opening of the door.

“Spencer just got a call from the coroner,” Piper announced, slightly confused by Rossi and Emily but steaming ahead with the update. “Our unsub has blood cancer, he’s dying.” The two stood up immediately, following the doctor out to the main workroom where they had begun discussing the new lead in relation to their first victim.

“Jake Shepherd was out on the lake for a baptism ritual, right?” Derek prompted them as everyone took their seats.

“Yeah, he was with his congregation,” JJ answered.

“Well, those water burials can be seen as a form of baptism, too,” Derek said.

“Especially dealing with an unsub who has a God complex,” Spencer said.

“What if there's a religious or spiritual motivation to why the unsub is doing this?” Derek asked and Piper narrowed her eyes, trying to retrieve old information.

“Hold on,” Piper murmured, pulling at one particular file she’d organised. “I had Garcia pull files on all our victims,” she rambled, searching through one of them. “Which includes local news stories and police reports and…” She pulled out a printout of an article. “I didn’t think much of it at first, but Jake had a troubling criminal history. Truancy, petty theft, domestic disturbances. Then he joined the church after a near death experience.”

“Which is why he was at a baptism ritual,” Aaron remarked. “What happened to him?”

“ATV accident, he coded for 4 minutes and was life-flighted to LA,” Piper read from the file. “They managed to revive him, but clinically he did die.”

“Death and resuscitation,” JJ sighed. “That sounds a little too similar to our unsub's M. O. to be a coincidence.”

“So, a terminally ill unsub targets a man who came back from the dead and then starts killing repeatedly,” Derek surmised as Aaron turned to the victim board. “I mean, am I crazy, or is this about a guy trying to come to terms with his own death?”

“Finding out you're gonna die isn't enough to make somebody a psychopath,” Aaron remarked.

“Maybe he isn’t a psychopath, at least not a narcissistic one anyway,” Piper proposed, leaning back in her chair, pen in hand. “It’s starting to look less like a power-driven unsub to a fear-driven one.”

“It does explain why he stopped strangling his victims,” Spencer added. “How do you find out about death?”

“You ask someone who died,” JJ said emphatically.

“Is he bringing his victims back so he can talk to them?” Aaron asked.

“Clearly, it isn’t working,” Piper scoffed. “If this unsub is so obsessed with death, then Jake Shepherd was the perfect person to talk to. His interview says he saw the light, literally.” She turned to the article again. “He spoke of a gentle light and a silhouetted figure bathed in warmth who welcomed him but told him it wasn't his time.”

“But come on, guys. Gentle lights, shadowy figures?” Derek asked dismissively. “Those are the lights in the emergency room and the doctors hovering over the patients. We all know that. No one actually sees the afterlife.”

“I did,” Spencer blurted out, feeling the team’s discerning gaze on him, refusing to meet Piper’s eyes. “Before Tobias Hankel resuscitated me, I had that exact experience. And I wasn't in an emergency room. I was in a shed.”

“Reid, you never told me that,” Derek said quietly, regretting his sharp words from before.

“I'm a man of science. I didn't know how to deal with it. There's no quantifiable proof that God exists, and yet, at that moment I was faced with something that I couldn't explain. I still can't.”

“But you weren’t actually dead,” Piper countered quietly, running a hand through her hair before explaining. “Look, you aren’t legally dead until there’s an irreversible cessation of either your heart or your brain. A doctor has to confirm both. And as for seeing the afterlife, that’s completely dependent on brain function. So long as there’s neural activity, there’s a very high likelihood that it’s just your subconscious trying to keep you alive.” Piper explained.

“But our unsub doesn’t know that,” Aaron remarked. “He thinks Jake actually died. What if this unsub has had a similar experience and this is his way of looking for answers?”

“Why kill Jake then?” Rossi asked. “Why not just ask him?”

“He wanted to see if he had the same experience as before,” Emily said in a slow, measured tone. Piper locked eyes with JJ, worried about the turn this conversation was going.

“Once isn't enough?” JJ asked.

“Not if Jake didn’t see the same thing the unsub did. He wants to know if the experience can change. I can relate to that.” She felt uncomfortable pinned under Piper’s gaze. “Um, Reid felt a warmth and saw a light—” She gestured a hand over to the doctor while continuing. “When I coded in the ambulance, all I felt was cold and darkness. And I would like to think that there's a different future waiting for me,” she said calmly, only closing her eyes when Piper reached out to clasp her hand, squeezing softly.

“You actually died?” Spencer asked, his voice growing terribly soft.

“All right, but resuscitation is hit or miss,” Derek said, keeping his gaze focused on Aaron and JJ. “He can't guarantee that he can actually bring anyone back, let alone that anyone will remember what happened in their moment of so-called death.”

“Reid, what's the best way to make sure his victims had an experience?” Rossi asked and Spencer only had to think for a couple of seconds before answering.

“Keep them dead longer.”


	5. Chapter 5

Spencer and Emily had both grown silent after their near-death confessions, staying distant from Derek and Piper, going so far as to take a different car with Aaron and JJ as two more missings were called in. They didn’t have an address until they’d hit the road, making their way to Samantha Braun’s abandoned car. “He’s abducted two at once,” Aaron announced on the conference call. “He needs a spot on the lake where he can control them. Somewhere isolated that gives him the time he needs for his resuscitation ritual.”

“How would he keep them dead longer, Reid?” Rossi asked, honestly afraid of the kid’s answer.

“There's a saying in the medical community that you're not dead until you're warm and dead,” Spencer answered. “Colder water temperatures could lead to hypothermia, which would offer the best chance for successful reanimation.”

“Ok, checking water temperatures. Now we have several cold spots,” Penelope announced.

“Cross-reference it with prior deaths in the area,” Piper added. “This lake means something to him other than cold water.”

“Okay, I have a possible for you. Daniel Whitaker was murdered 15 years ago. He was a park attendant. His dock was in the coldest part of Ridge Canyon Lake.”

“Who killed him?” Derek asked.

“His son, Chase. Daniel physically assaulted his son and then buried him alive when he was 16. There was no mom in the picture. Chase got off light. He got out at 18 and…bingo! Chase was diagnosed with lymphoma when he was 10. It went into remission when he was 12, but a few months ago he was diagnosed with stage 4 and he's been given 3 months to live.”

“The idea of having to face death again must be what sent him over the edge,” JJ said. “The guy's been haunted his whole life by whatever he experienced that night.”

“Sending the Whitaker residence to your phones…now.” All four phones in Aaron’s SUV pinged with the same address, as did the one’s in Rossi’s car. Rossi’s car pulled up next to the house and the three of them burst into their tasks. Derek started sprinting for the woods while Piper ran down to the dock below, her gun unholstered. But by the time she got to the pier, it was empty save for the damp, unconscious body of Samantha Braun.

“I need a medic down here!” she yelled into the radio, dropping her gun to feel a weak pulse. Her head turned instinctively at the sound of disturbed water, one behind her and one in front. Chase Whitaker pulled himself out of the water and onto the dock and before Piper could spell “FBI”, he had lunged at her, pushing her into the icy water.

“Bishop!” Rossi’s yell echoed through the otherwise silent forest as Chase pealed after the other boy. Spencer heard the yell through his radio just as the car stopped behind Rossi’s.

“He’s headed to the woods!” Derek’s yell came through next, and despite Spencer’s every impulse and intention, Aaron forced him in the opposite direction of the dock. Rossi ran down to the dock, disobeying procedure, only to see Piper’s head break the surface of the water.

“Go!” She yelled at Rossi, a few feet from the dock. Pursing his lips, David sprinted away after Chase while Piper dove down, starting to swim in the same direction. Spencer wove through trees behind Emily, Aaron and JJ, checking every now and then over his shoulder until they joined Derek’s side, catching the briefest cry of help followed by successive coughing. Flanking each other, the profilers ran in pursuit until Derek caught a glimpse of Chase tackling the young boy in a wet, red shirt into the water and as though he switched into second gear, Derek ran harder than he ever had, stopping at the edge of the water as Chase pulled out a knife, pressing it against the boy’s neck, all of them too preoccupied with each other to notice anything else.

“Let him go,” Aaron called out, all 6 profilers aiming at him in the water.

“I can't,” Chase protested.

“You hurt him and you won't live long enough to know what he has to say,” Derek threatened.

“I need answers,” Chase yelled.

“There are no answers, Chase,” Aaron said calmly. “Nobody gets to know what happens when we die. That's why people have faith.”

“Faith in what?” he challenged. “My life has been one nightmare after another.”

“What happened to you as a boy wasn't fair. But neither is this. Let him go.” All six of them were ready to shoot until something pulled at Chase from behind, freeing the boy to run into JJ’s arms. He thrashed in the water and every profiler was too confused to shoot. With no-one in danger, it didn’t seem right to either. At least until Piper broke the water’s surface, gasping for breath. Spencer’s gaze widened in shock as she dragged Chase’s body out of the water. Derek simply laughed incredulously at the glinting handcuffs around Chase’s wrists, but Emily had other concerns, lunging for Piper. Specifically, the clean gash on her arm and she winced as Emily held it up.

“Piper,” she breathed, pressing her into a hug.

“How…” JJ’s jaw fell open at the scene and Emily pulled away.

“Piper’s a strong swimmer,” Aaron recalled testily. “Nicely done, Bishop.” Piper laughed exhaustedly.

“ _He_ pushed _me_ into the water. Trust me, that was not done willingly.”

“Show-off,” Emily scoffed, making Piper laugh as they made their way up the hill, leaving Spencer and Piper at the edge of the water. Piper shivered slightly, pushing her hair back out of her face as she met Spencer’s worried gaze.

“Spence—” She stepped towards him, her tone placating and interrupted by Spencer pressing her against the nearest tree and pressing his warm lips to hers. His fingers locked in its usual position, tangling in her damp hair while hers gravitated to his waist. He pulled away reluctantly, pressing his forehead to hers.

“You smell like a wet dog,” he remarked, and Piper smiled, resuming her kiss, sucking softly on his upper lip, her hands travelling up his chest.

“I smell like a dog, do I?” she murmured before pushing him softly. Spencer’s brow furrowed before flinching backwards as she shook out her hair on him, sending flecks of water all over him.

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry!” Spencer laughed, his hands up in surrender and Piper grinned brightly, running a hand through her stringy, wet hair. “Let’s get that arm checked out, though. It’ll start to bleed in a few minutes.” Piper nodded, lacing her good hand through his before they walked up to the medical unit on the top of the hill.

* * *

Piper sat on the edge of the paramedic’s ambulance, letting them bandage her arm properly. “You should also check for any broken ribs or bruises.”

“You could also check for a lung infection or pneumonia or—” Piper mock gasped in the middle of teasing. “What about a bacterial infection in the cut?” Piper laughed. “I’m fine, Doc.”

“Yeah, well, you could have also run after him like the rest of us,” Spencer retorted.

“After being submerged in water. Yeah, right,” Piper scoffed. “I’d have been faster in the water and you know it. You know how many injuries you can get from running on weak muscles?”

“Yes,” Spencer said sheepishly. Thanking the paramedic for the bandage, Piper hopped off the ambulance. “You still could’ve died,” Spencer reminded her.

“Yeah, but we always knew that. What are the odds that we get out of this job alive?” Piper asked, staring at the bright California sky.

“None that I like,” Spencer said, his voice soft.

“Babe, we have been through much worse than drowning. Just be thankful that this one didn’t involve a hospital,” Piper said.

“I guess that’s fair. Just don’t do it again,” Spencer said, pulling her towards the car.

“How are you feeling?” Derek asked.

“Like I’ve gotten better birthday gifts than almost drowning and a gash on my arm,” Piper said with a laugh, oblivious to the panic spreading on Spencer and Derek’s faces as she got into the car with Rossi. They shared a look of absolute panic before rushing into the other car.


	6. Chapter 6

Piper knew something was up when Derek and Spencer sat huddled together in a corner with Emily. Spencer had been reading the same page of his book for 15 minutes. It never took him longer than 5 minutes to turn the page. “Piper?” JJ waved a hand at her.

“Hmm? What’s up?” She asked the blonde profiler who laughed.

“Where should I take Will for dinner? I feel like we haven’t gone on a date in weeks.” Piper nodded slowly, mulling over everything she knew about Will.

“Will’s kinda old-school, isn’t he?”

“Yeah,” JJ said, her feet tucked under her on the plush seat. “Like a vintage romantic.”

“You can’t go wrong with a classic candlelight dinner,” Piper offered until she clicked her fingers. “You know what, don’t do dinner.” JJ’s brow wrinkled. “Virginia looks beautiful in the sunrise. Have brunch on a hot air balloon.” JJ smiled slowly at the idea.

“Really?” JJ asked.

“Jay, Will is crazy about you and Henry. Show him you care,” Piper said, smiling softly. “Go all in.”

“All in,” JJ murmured to herself, nodding slowly before pulling her cell out. “This is crazy.” Piper shrugged.

“I call it love,” she said, grinning as JJ left to call Penelope. She watched JJ tap on the counter, talking as Spencer took a seat in front of Piper.

“Derek and Emily think I should surprise you for your birthday,” he said, leaning on his elbow as he admired her. Her hair had become slightly fluffy from the unexpected swim, making them curl around her face. But her eyes were still warm and bright, her eyelashes making his stomach flutter, even after 3 years together. Though he supposed they had been doing that from the moment he first met her.

“Well, this is a terrible way to go about it,” Piper said, smiling softly. Spencer’s hair was always messy, borderline unruly, always giving her the urge to fix it. Although, it wasn’t often his hair obeyed to her touch. But his smile was easily the prettiest thing about him, the way his lips quirked slightly before opening to a heart-warming smile.

“I figured you had enough surprises today and honestly; I’ve run out of ideas.” Piper frowned.

“You can do that?” She shouldn’t tease him this much, but poking fun at him gave her too much joy to give up. Never anything too serious, though. Piper knew her boundaries with him. It was just finding ways to meddle in his bets and games, pranking him and adding the occasional witty quip. And she’d eased into the behaviour too, always making sure he was okay with it.

“Yeah, it surprised me too,” Spencer laughed, raising his coffee to his lips. “So, whatever you want to do, I’m in.” Piper smiled at him.

“You won’t laugh?” Spencer jutted out his bottom lip.

“Based on past experience and statistical probability, probably not.”

“Hey, I can be funny,” Piper protested and Spencer mocked laughing. “Stop it,” Piper said, reaching over to smack him with her book playfully. “You’re being mean.”

“I concede, you’re a very funny person,” Spencer said, surrendering. “But I swear on Jung, I will not laugh.”

“Nothing,” Piper answered simply, leaning back and Spencer’s brow furrowed.

“Nothing?”

“Absolutely nothing. This has been an exhausting day, I have gotten unnecessarily drenched, torn my shirt sleeve and I’m in a bandage, again.” She lifted up her bandaged forearm and tattered sleeve. “I don’t want to do anything tonight. And depending on the rest of the day, maybe ever.” Spencer blinked exactly four times, possibly in shock.

“It’s your birthday, and you don’t want to do anything?” Piper nodded, stealing his cup of coffee. She didn’t mind it being quite so sweet.

“Birthdays are exhausting,” Piper said, smacking her lips. Spencer frowned.

“Is this a trap?” Spencer asked.

“No, Doc, this is not a trap,” Piper said evenly. “Look, growing up, no-one had the time, the money or the energy to plan a huge birthday spectacle and I didn’t like it either. So, I spend the day taking care of the people I love. It’s not that complicated,” she said, leaning back in her chair.

“Huh,” Spencer said. “That actually makes a lot of sense.” Piper wrinkled her nose. “Why you buy gifts for people on your birthday. Why you’re always secretly glad we have a case near that day.”

“I’ve always had the feeling that Penelope would die if we weren’t around to celebrate her birthday.”

“June 14, 2005,” Spencer recited confidently. “The entire case, she would not answer the phone with a fun greeting, she wouldn’t flirt with Derek and not a single pop culture reference was made.”

“Are we talking about The Black Day?” Derek asked, overhearing the last snippet of the conversation. “God, that was terrifying.”

“You know, thinking about it, I’ve never heard Penelope say hi or hello ever in my entire time of knowing her,” Piper remarked.

“My first words to her were ‘Baby Girl’,” Derek said, sinking into a seat beside Spencer and Piper laughed.

“Anyone else would have filed a complaint to HR,” Piper joked.

As they kept talking, no-one noticed how silently Dave was in the back of the jet, staring at the window, dreading the touchdown onto the tarmac. Emily was right. There had always been something special about Carolyn, though he couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was. He mulled it over the entire way to her hotel room, from the jet ride to the drive there, he constantly pulled his happiest memories of his first marriage all those years ago. The courtship, the wedding, the house-hunting, and every moment in between. All of it came flooding back as he rapped on the room door and it swung open to reveal the very woman that he’d accomplished so many milestones with. “You look like hell,” she greeted him, letting him into the beige room. “You wanna talk about it?”

“Not really,” he answered, studying her with a miserable expression.

“You can’t save everyone, David.”

“I can try,” he offered lamely. “I lost you once. I don't want to lose you again.”

“You have to let me go,” she pleaded.

“I can’t. Life is worth fighting for,” David protested placidly.

“Fight how?” she asked, her voice exhausted. “Fighting for what? Look at me. Pretty soon, I’m not going to be able to walk. I want to go out as I am, as I've lived, not who I'm going to become.”

“I can't help you,” David said, resolutely helpless. “What you're asking, I can't.”

“I know. I knew you never could,” Carolyn said, raising a hand to caress his arm as his eyes widened in realisation. “You spout all that profiling talk, but, really, the best way to get to know someone is to marry them,” she said, almost drunkenly. “You are the best man I've ever known. That's why I wanted you to be with me tonight.”

“What have you done?” David asked, slightly horrified as he rushed to the bedside table, discovering an empty pill bottle, glancing back at the woman he still loved. He had always thought that was the reason behind his multiple divorces. That and his job.

“Oh, hush,” Carolyn said placidly. “Just come sit. It won’t be long now,” she said, leaning into David’s embrace, trying to stop him as he started dialling 9-1-1. “No. Don't. They won't get here in time. Please. Don’t let me die in a hospital,” she pleaded until he dropped the phone and held her tight. “I'm already tired. Do you th— do you think he'll be there?” Carolyn asked her former husband gently.

“I’m sure he will,” David said gently, rubbing Carolyn’s arm as tears welled up in his eyes, slipping down his cheeks as his ex-wife went still in his arms, burying his forehead in the crook of her neck, breathing in the same warm, cinnamon perfume that he loved.

* * *

Piper awoke to the sound of her ringtone and struggled to turn and reach for the cell from Spencer’s arms. “Don’t,” he said, his voice muffled from sleep and their pillows.

“Spence, it could be important.”

“Sleep is important too,” he said, tugging her body to his. With one final push, Piper freed herself from his grip, toppling off the bed in the process, cell-phone in hand.

“Ow,” she answered. “Dr Bishop.”

“ _Hey, kid. I need a favour.”_ Piper rubbed her eyes.

“Someone better be dead,” Spencer mumbled loudly.

“Don’t listen to him,” Piper said. “Where do you need me?”

_“Rock Creek Cemetery.”_

“Okay, give me 20 minutes. I’ll meet you at the front gate.” Piper hung up, slowly getting to her feet, thankful that she hadn’t landed on her bad arm.

“Who was it?” Spencer asked, blinking blearily and raising a hand to rub his face and watch Piper pull clothes out of her closet.

“Rossi.”

“What does he want?” Spencer grumbled.

“Don’t be like that,” Piper murmured, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead. “I wouldn’t leave unless it was serious.” He watched her leave for the bathroom in just a loose sweater and leggings, going back to sleep after the door closed. She was done in a few minutes, pairing a grey long-sleeve shirt with black jeans and a dark red leather jacket. She pocketed the keys, slipped on her loafers and grabbed her helmet, slightly concerned with what Rossi might want at a cemetery. She found him, leaning on a brick wall next to the gate and pulled off her helmet before joining him. “Rossi, is everything okay?”

“How long have we known each other?” Dave asked.

“We met on Halloween,” Piper remembered. “It’ll be 4 years in a week. Rossi, this isn’t how people celebrate friendiversaries.”

“You’ve never called me Dave or David.” Piper shrugged.

“I’m respecting my elders. You gonna tell me what happened?” Rossi shook his head, moving to his car. “Rossi! What’s going…” She saw him pull out two glasses, a bottle of red wine and a picnic blanket. “…on?” He passed the glasses to Piper and closed the trunk of his car.

“You’ll see,” he said cryptically, beckoning Piper to follow him as they made their way to the graveyard. Piper sighed, following dutifully. “I didn’t want to do this alone,” he said, taking a too-familiar path until Piper caught sight of what they were there for.

“James David Rossi,” Piper read aloud from the small gravestone. “I didn’t know you had a son.”

“Not for long,” he said, laying down the red checked blanket. Piper’s gaze fell on the one next to it, making her heart break more.

“Carolyn, your first wife.”

“I’m surprised you remembered,” Dave said, taking a seat and patting a spot next to him.

“I only pretend to not know how many wives you had,” Piper said, taking a seat and passing him the glasses. “What happened?”

“She was diagnosed with ALS. She wanted to go out on her own terms.” Piper nodded slowly, watching him pour out the two glasses. “She asked me to help her.”

“And you couldn’t,” Piper supplied understandingly.

“She knew that too. She overdosed on some pills. Died in my arms last night.”

“I’m sorry,” Piper said automatically. “What was she like?”

“Warm, funny. Always seeing the best in people. Would’ve made an excellent mother. Even when we divorced, she was always so…pleasant about it. We made a pledge that even though we were no longer married, we would help each other out if they had a problem.”

“Wow, she sounds out of your league,” Piper said, making him chuckle.

“Yeah, Jason thought so too,” he confessed wryly. “But I loved her all the same. Can I give you some advice, as a three-time divorcee?”

“Don’t get married?” Piper asked.

“Cherish every moment you’ve got with Reid.” Piper nodded solemnly.

“To cherishing the moment,” Piper said, raising her glass of wine.

“To cherishing the moment.”


End file.
